


A Velvet Glove

by Sanjuno



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types, ゼロの使い魔 | Zero no Tsukaima | The Familiar of Zero
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But politely, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Feel-good Sort-of Fix-it, Gen, Leonardo and Louise are super polite, Leonardo and Louise will Fuck Your Shit Up, Leonardo likes to spoil his new little sister, Louise and Leonardo have a healthy relationship based on mutual respect and open communication, Louise get kunoichi training, Louise gets a different Familiar, Louise is Henrietta's favourite, Louise likes it when people listen to her, Massive multi-kindgom conspiracies get exposed and destroyed, Spymaster!Louise, They don't have to agree, They just have to be well mannered about it, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2018-09-23 03:25:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9638819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanjuno/pseuds/Sanjuno
Summary: The Void has no beginning nor end, a space of infinite potential.When Louise Francois le Blanc de la Valliere attempts to Summon her Familiar, the wounds carved upon her heart find their match in a lonely warrior left bereft of kith and kin.When Gunshin no Hamato Leonardo took to wandering the paths of the Otherworlds after the deaths of his younger brothers, he never expected to hear someone call him "elder brother" again.Somewhere in the middle, between duty and destiny, the two wounded souls meet. Together they begin to heal, and in the process...Together they might just be able to save the world.





	1. To Not Be Seen, Is To Be Invisible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louise is a Mage striving to summon her perfect match, Leonardo misses being a big brother.
> 
> Their Familiar Bond will herald the birth of a legend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, most of what prompted this fic from me was the pondering of several factors of Louise's character. Such as:
> 
> How would Louise grow as a person with a supportive elder sibling capable of accompanying her on her adventures? We see her in canon with Cattelya, and Louise is _much_ calmer and better behaved in Cattleya's company than she is with anyone else barring Henrietta. I picked Leonardo because for one, Leonardo is _the best_ older brother, and two, Leonardo is _not a romantic possibility._ Not for Louise, and not for Henrietta, and not for any of the other girls Saito's "shounen magnetism" attracts over the course of canon.
> 
> Of course, this is a sadAU!Leonardo, and he bonded to Louise _willingly_ so many of the personality conflicts that arose because Saito was a horndog _won't be an issue_ for Leonardo and Louise. 
> 
> That being said, Tiffania's part in the narrative is going to be interesting, because she won't be _deliberately_ trying to summon a certain person. Which leaves the position of **Heart of God** up in the air, since it certainly won't be Leonardo.

=/=

Today was supposed to be a good day. Today was supposed to be her moment of triumph. Today was supposed to be the day she finally proved those sneering, scheming, dishonourable _curs_ wrong. Today was supposed to be the day that she summoned her beautiful, powerful, perfect Familiar. Today was supposed to be the day she met the _one_ creature in existence that would always, _always_ , be by her side, ever loyal, and put her _first_.

Today was not supposed to be the day she failed.

/.../

Failed. He had failed in the _one_ thing that gave his pathetic life meaning. He had failed his family. Failed his Sensei. He had nothing left, no reason to go on living. Each day that passed was a struggle. Each day he fought on in their memory, determined to never fail again. Nothing could hurt more than the void in his soul. It was a scar on his psyche, reflected by the silence around him, which acted as a constant reminder of his failure.

What he would give to have it all fade away to nothing.

/.../

Nothing. She was nothing. First she had slept in, exhausted by her frantic revisions the night before. Tradition demanded the ceremony not begin until _all_ the participants had arrived. So not only was she unforgivably late, she had been humiliated about being the reason for the ritual being delayed by over an hour. The participants went in order of arrival, and that meant she would be the last student called upon to cast the Summoning.

She had been forced to endure the whispers, the sidelong glances, the not-quite-muffled snickers. She had been forced to watch as her rivals and tormentors successfully summoned their companions. She had to watch eternal bond after eternal bond forged and consecrated by fools and braggarts who did not know how lucky they actually were. Blind, witless _chaff_ who watched her struggle and strive and laughed behind their false-pity smirks. Making petty jabs at her name and station to the backs of their hands. Oh, is it not just so _sad_ that the Duke’s daughter is an _inexprime_. How very, very disappointed her mother must be. Still, at least she will marry well, thanks to her lineage.

Perhaps her children will be more fortunate.

/.../

He had been fortunate, they said. If the blade had struck any deeper he would have died. If the blow had been an inch lower he would have lost his sight. If he had been a second slower to dodge the explosion would have caught him. What sort of meaningless platitude was that? Fortunate? He would only count himself fortunate when he saw his brothers again.

His life was empty without them.

/.../

Empty. The circle was empty. The shadows of the clearing were long and deep in the last dregs of daylight. Evening was fast approaching. The gathered students and their new Familiars muttered rebelliously in hunger and boredom.

Ignoring her teacher’s gentle hints that she stop, she began the ritual again. Ignoring her classmate’s snide sighs of disgust she started the ritual for the fifth time. Ignoring the way the knife sliced into her flesh, she fixed a smudged line. Ignoring the way her burning eyes salted the ground with tears, she looked up into the sky. The pale face of the moon hovered opposite the setting sun, the sky a riot of colour. Ignoring the words and incantations and meditations she had been taught, she screamed her plea into the Void.

Fire or Water, Air or Earth… Void it did not matter! Please, _please_ , someone, _anyone_ , hear her! Hear her call, and come to her side! Come to her side and never, _ever_ , leave it!

... _PLEASE_.

/.../

He rarely slept well, these days. His dreams were haunted by ghosts of memories, recollections of better times. Happier times. Times from before he had failed them. He ate only as needed, a lifetime of conditioning a steel wall against encroaching depression. His body and his mind were his two greatest weapons. Allowing either to atrophy was anathema. It was against all his Father’s teachings to deprive himself of that wall. He may have failed his family but he _refused_ to betray them that way.

So he slept as he could, and ate as he could, and he trained. Obsessively. Compulsively. He trained. From beginner’s kata to the advanced weaponry forms that his brother’s had died before mastering. He trained. Until his body was numb, and his limbs shook. He trained until it was physically impossible to continue.

It was then that he would meditate, and allow the void of the astral plane swallow his pain.

Today was no different. Until he heard the voice. Young. Female. Broken and so, so desperately lonely under the false bravado.

He stood and gathered his things from around the campsite. If the glowing portal was any indication, he was not going to be remaining in this dimension for much longer. Satisfied with his preparations he turned back to the wavering portal that had followed along behind him. The voice was still calling, only now it _screamed_.

His body moved before he was aware he had made the choice. She needed him, and he... he could _never_ deny someone who _needed_ him.

She screamed and he leapt through the portal.

/.../

The explosion was huge. The largest she could ever remember creating. Smoke and dust covered the clearing, obscuring completely what little visibility remained as twilight deepened into true night.

No. _No_ , she had failed again. She stumbled forward, numb to the tears as they fell. She had failed _again_ , and now she would _never_ make Mother proud. She felt hollowed out on the inside. Empty. Her willpower was exhausted. She could not do this anymore!

She stumbled forward, blind, and ran headfirst into an armoured body. Leather hands touched her face, wiped away muddy tears with tender care. Those hands were large and firm and calloused and handled her with the utmost delicacy. They only, however, had three fingers.

Heart in her throat she reached out, hands encountering scales and scars. So very many scars, some still tight with newness, others softened by age. Unable to find her voice she mouthed the words of binding and laid a kiss on the palm nearest to her face.

A crack of blue lightning and black smoke blew the dust away. Students and teacher stood up in the aftermath and stared around with shell-shocked eyes.

The center of the clearing was empty. The girl and whatever she might have summoned were long gone.

/.../

Panic lent wings to his feet while he held the one who had called for him close and safe. His arm burned, and a foreign will scratched against his mental shields like cat claws. He ignored the mild discomforts of flesh and spirit in order to run, ducking through shadows until he felt certain any pursuit was lost.

There had been so many people ringing her in, watching as she cried. The pain in his arm had been the last straw. Explanations could wait until they had time and space.

At last he paused, crouched in the high branches of a tree. From the look of the foliage, it was early spring. From the quality of the air and the stitching of the girl’s clothing, this world was pre-industrial. Interesting. It may well have been a dimensional jump rather than planetary. Could he still reach the Nexus from here? He would have to check on that later.

He continued through the treetops until he found a small grotto. The water ran pure and clear, and the risen stone formed walls that blocked the wind. They would be safe enough to make a comfortable camp here.

The girl was placed on a clear patch of stone, and he set about making camp. The glowing marks on his arm stung, but that could be ignored for a bit longer.

/.../

She stared as the green creature built a fire. The strange contraption on its back unfolded into a green dome, which she was quick to realize was a tent. It was not until the creature filled a kettle with water from the stream that she snapped out of her fugue state.

The runes of the Servant Contract were still aglow on its arm. She had managed to summon the creature, but so far she had failed to bind it. Now she was alone, lost, with a creature intelligent enough to pitch a camp and... and make her a cup of tea?  
  
She stared at the small mug being offered to her in aggravated surprise. Tea was not quite the dramatic level of dire threat she was expecting. Unless it was poisoned tea. Wryly acknowledging that she should perhaps rein in her imagination, she accepted the warm cup with a small murmur of thanks. She was still not quite sure what to make of the creature’s smile, but it seemed... kind.

They sat and drank their tea in oddly companionable silence. Oh, to be sure, they were busy examining each other, but the simple process of indulging in a warm beverage was comforting. Despite their wild surroundings, the civilized nature of the whole silent exchange of courtesy soothed her frazzled nerves.

Eventually though, their mugs were empty. Reality intruded once more. The runes on the creature’s skin glowed more brightly than their campfire in the darkness under the canopy of the night-time forest. She bit her lip, feeling the drain on her meagre remains of willpower even as the green flesh around the runes began to look discoloured and bruised raw. Was the binding hurting it? The other Familiars had screamed or roared or hissed, but they had not seemed unduly distressed or harmed. She was the Zero though... it would be just her luck to miscast the binding and maim her Familiar. With the professors nowhere to be seen, as well! Honestly, and they claimed to be experts!

Fighting back a fresh wave of shameful tears, she reached out and lay her small hand over the pulsing glow.

Light and Shadow filled the Void.

/.../

Sensei was disappointed again. They could tell. It never mattered how hard they tried. Their efforts were never good enough. It did not matter how hard they worked or how long they trained. It was never enough. Only perfection was acceptable.

(The Void was dark.)

Mother’s expression was steel and her words as blunt as her blade was sharp. It was not enough that their theory was more advanced than a student twice their age. Not if they failed so utterly at the practical. The explosions were powerful, but proof only of their lack of skill. Until they could produce a recognizable spell they were worthless as a mage. They needed to be perfect.

(The Void was silent.)

Father died, and they became the Head of the Clan. They tried to keep their family together but their brothers refused to listen. It seemed the harder they worked to protect their family the more reckless their brothers became. When their brothers were killed one after another they could only wait for Death to come for them. They did not expect to survive their vengeance, but they did and it hurt to wake alone each day with only the memory of their family for company.

(The Void was still.)

Mother and Father were ashamed of them. Eldest sister mocked them, and their other sister was too frail to defend them. The servants whispered behind their hands, and the other noble families circled like beasts sensing weak prey. They could not fail their family. They refused. Despair and desperation choked them.

(The Void was the cradle of creation.)

“I will not be a slave.” No rage. No hysteria. Just simple fact spoken in a calm, deep voice.

“I do not wish a slave. I…” A moment of hesitation before being able to admit aloud what had previously been decried as a weakness. “I want a… a companion. A partner. Someone who will always be by my side.”

“An equal.” The glowing runes that chained them to one another flashed as the terms of the contract began to change, rewritten for the first time since the Founding under the onslaught of their combined will. “A confidante to keep your secrets.”

“A champion to defend my honour.” Sullen red broke apart, threads of azure blue glittering in replacement of rusted links. “A guide to help me find my way.”

“I am an elder brother without a clan.” Runes glowed blue on green skin, forming stylized slashes like pointed mandala. “A teacher without a student.”

“I am a younger sister without the protection of my kin.” Rose light glowed on palm and breast, starlight writing out a promise and a heartfelt wish in the image of a delicately notched, five-petal flower. “A student denied the knowledge that should have been freely granted.”

“Then let us tie our Fates together.” The shadows swirled around them, the only light the contract writ in luminous script upon their skins. “I shall call you mine.”

“Let us walk the same path into eternity.” There was no fear to be had of the dark. It did not hurt. Even though the swirls of blue energy washed over their skins in brilliant forks of lightning, there was no pain. “Let us seal the contract, and I shall call you mine!”

Light flared impossibly brighter, azure and rose separate-yet-together, and a newborn binary star shone in the Void.

=/=

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Don't judge me. Familiar of Zero is the _best_ crossover fodder to ever exist, and Louise is a _fantastic_ character when it comes to exploring alternatives to canon. Also Leonardo has _all the experience_ when it comes to cross-dimensional shenanigans.


	2. Words are wind without minds to hear.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the dawn of a new day, and Louise Francois le Blanc de la Vallerie wakes with it. She is not yet aware of the full scope of how her Familiar will bring a change to her Destiny, but for now that's not the most important thing.
> 
> The most important thing, is that Gunshin no Hamato Leonardo has family again. And nothing, no War or Cult or Doomsday Prophesy about the Void, will stop him from defending his new little sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *walks in several months later holding a 1ltr mug of coffee*
> 
> ... I'm not ashamed.
> 
> *gulps coffee*

=/=

**(Communication is the key to establishing any relationship.)**

Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere did not _quite_ know how she had gotten to this point. The spring morning dawned cool and clear, waking her from a strange dream. ( _She had been trapped. Cramped and curled up in a too-small space. Trying to escape on her own had hurt, the barrier wrapped around her resisting all attempts to break free with lashes of pain. There had been something like singing outside her tiny prison, showing her the way out. In that odd way of dreams, time had passed slowly in an instant. Then she was breaking free at last. Emerging into sweet fresh air and warm light and strong arms that had held her in a protective embrace. It was like being born. She had looked up into kind blue eyes and had known a love great enough to bring a kingdom down to its knees. If she could have lived the remainder of her life in that moment she could have died happy._ )

Slowly, Louise woke, the last remnants of her dream clinging to her thoughts. Her eyes drifted open and she blinked the sleep dust from her eyes. She was oddly comfortable for having spent the night sleeping on the forest floor. Reluctant to move and lose the tender warmth still lingering from her dream, Louise tilted her head only enough to look up at her new Familiar.

Kind blue eyes looked back at her from above, and Louise experienced a moment of disassociation. Her Familiar was… _familiar_ , for lack of a better term. In that strange way distant relatives are familiar, seen only once every few years but still recognized as family.

Louise frowned in confusion, still far too sleep addled to consider moving. She was cradled in her Familiar’s lap like a kitten in a basket. Had he spent the entire night sitting upright like that? She could see how his shell could make some sleeping positions more comfortable, or uncomfortable, than others, but she doubted _anyone_ could sleep well sat upright like that.

Except… his neck and shoulders fit together in a different manner than hers. A different manner from the way _humans_ were fit together. That shell on his back… he looked like a turtle. Was he a turtle? A _magical_ breed of turtle, the way Unicorns were a magical breed of horse? A telescopic neck _would_ make sleeping upright marginally more comfortable. What species did her Familiar belong to?

… Sweet merciful Founder, she _had a Familiar_!

Louise could not stop the savage, victorious grin from growing on her face. She had done it. She had done magic, _real_ magic, in accordance to the socially accepted structures. No one could call her an _inexprime_ now. A weakling, maybe. A dunce, perhaps. A disappointment, well… she had been one of those all her life. She was well used to the mockery by now, for all it still hurt. With a Familiar though she was _provably_ a mage and could continue on to third year studies.

Louise would never measure up to Karin the Heavy Wind. This went without saying. Eleanor would still mock her at family gatherings. That did not matter. Louise had done it. She had avoided the worst of the stain to her family’s honour and reputation. She had done it. She may even have the chance to improve her magic now. She had four more years to work with, after all. She had done it, so she could not be expelled.

The tears felt like relief.

/…/

Gunshin no Hamato Leonardo remained silent, watching the human girl in his lap.

Or human _like_ , at least. No human Leonardo was familiar with sported _naturally_ pink hair. Red eyes might have meant albinism, but her skin was the wrong colour for it. She watched him back, thoughts flickering behind her eyes like candle flames behind silk lantern screens. She was tiny, this new charge of his. Slight as a child despite her build and mindscape placing her mid-puberty. Strong for her size though, and Leonardo could feel an unfamiliar Power surging under her skin. Despite her flash-bang temper, she would never be a physical powerhouse. She would never be able to physically back up that temper the way Raphael once had, but Raphael had been atypical for a ninja that way. This new charge of his would need to learn both control and accuracy, if she wished to pursue her own desires.

The reminder of his brother was a painful comfort. Leonardo well knew how to deal with a wrathful soul, knew which mistakes _not_ to make from hard earned experience turned into reoccurring nightmares.

The turtle let his spirit-sense reach out. The connection forged between them the night before was a permanent bond, and it had allowed the ninja to access the girl’s dreams. Now he wanted the measure of her waking mind. How much control did she have over that volcano in her soul? He could feel the ill temper that stemmed from desperation and fear of failure and pride. The aching loneliness and the determination to succeed at all costs, despite the odds. There was honesty and loyalty and intelligence coupled with a work ethic that rivaled Leonardo’s own. A strong connection to Clan and kin. An awareness of her responsibilities to her ancestors to honour and uphold their history. The duty she had to provide for the generations that were to follow after her. The honour found in having a legacy.

Tears began to flow from her eyes, and she _smiled_ at him. Leonardo smiled back, smoothing back her tangled hair with a gentle hand. Perhaps it was merely a result of their bond, but Leonardo was content with his new circumstances. From the feel of her spirit it would not be very long at all before he loved her as purely as he had loved ( _still_ loved) any of his dearly missed brothers. This was good. He could leave the past behind and begin anew with this unlooked-for little sister.

She needed him, and Leonardo had always needed someone to look after.

/…/

“Domo arigatou gozaimazu, imouto-chan.” The words were in no language Louise had ever heard before, but she understood them nevertheless. ‘ _Thank you, little sister._ ’ Her Familiar was saying. _‘I’ve missed having a sibling to care for. I’m glad you called me here. I’ve been alone for a long time, so please forgive me for the times I make bad company._ ’

“I do not think I could ever find you bad company, Familiar.” Louise wiped the tears from her eyes and sat up. “Thus far you are one of the few people not to insult me, judge me, or find me somehow _lacking_.”

Louise was being unaccountably honest, but if she could not trust her own _Familiar_ then she had absolutely no desire to continue her farce of a life. She was just so _tired_ of needing to be strong. Of needing to prove herself over and over again. She wanted someone _else_ to defend _her_ for once, instead of attacking her while she was weak.

Founder, she hoped that the warm, protective sense of _other_ was her Familiar Bond and not just her imagination.

/…/

She was speaking _French_ , of all things, or something very alike to it. Something with Romantic Latin roots, at any rate. The bond was translating for now, and Leonardo could feel _something_ prompting his mind into the right shapes. The more they spoke the more they would understand one another. The bond was working to implant the knowledge of each other’s languages within their minds.

“You see me as a person, then?” Leonardo smiled as she stared up at him in surprise. “I’ve met many humans in the course of my life, little sister, and most of your kind do not look beyond the skin to see the mind within.”

‘ _That’s wrong!_ ’ She sat up, jaw thrust forward and stubborn as a bulldog with its teeth sunk in. ‘ _Even Rhyme Dragons and Elves are people. Although they are also horrible tyrannical monsters. One does not preclude the other._ ’

“So this is not simply a matter of our bond, little sister?” Leonardo tilted his head to one side. She still had not made a move to leave his lap. It was a curious sign of affection from a girl Leonardo could tell at a glance had been raised to maintain appearances at all costs.

‘ _It is a noble’s duty to enact Justice. The Laws are quite clear on the matters of distinction between Animals, Creatures, and Persons. Just as they are clear on the correct treatment of Commoners, Nobles, Mages, and Royalty.’_ She hesitated and her voice dropped to a sullen mutter. _‘Even if my foolish classmates choose to ignore all but what goes on our tests. I… my studies were rather more in-depth than theirs. I wanted to know exactly what to do, no matter what manner of Familiar I summoned. I… I never expected a Person. There is no record of any mage summoning a Person as a Familiar, nor have I come across any mention of your species before.’_

“Nor would you, little sister.” Leonardo sighed and looked away into the distance. “So far as I know, I am the last of my kind still living. My brothers and I were fostered. We called ourselves many things over the years. The ones that stuck were ‘ninja turtle’ or ‘dragon turtle’. The second option is a better species name. ‘Ninja’ is an occupation.”

‘ _Kame-ryu?’_ Hearing Japanese spoken with a French accent was interesting, to say the least. Red eyes were wide with excitement. ‘ _Are you truly a dragon?_ ’

“Only sometimes.” Leonardo chuckled and shook his head. “The transformation is tiresome, and I prefer this form.”

/…/

A dragon. She had summoned a _dragon_. True, he was a shape-shifter, no one in Tristain had ever heard of his particular species before, and she had only his word on his ability to change forms, but that did not change the fact that she had summoned a _dragon_.

Founder, please do not let this be a dream. Louise was _fine_ with being lost in the wilderness as long as her Familiar was _real_.

“Understandable.” Louise sat up and tried to bring order to her hair. She remained pressed to her Familiar’s side, loath to end their contact. He did not seem to mind, and she had waited so long for what he represented. Louise just knew that she was going to be one of _those_ Mages. The ones who doted on their Familiars and came up with utterly ridiculous pet names for the creatures. “Oh, curse it. I’ve been horribly rude. Familiar, my name is Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere, third daughter born to the Duke de la Valliere and his lady wife, Karin of the Heavy Wind. Have you a name by which I may address you?”

‘ _It is a pleasure to meet you, Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere.’_ Her Familiar folded his hands together and tilted his head in a strange little bow that was still properly formal. ‘ _I am Leonardo Hamato of the War God, first born son of the Hamato Clan and heir to the Hamato School of shadow arts._ ’

“Gunshin no Hamato Leonardo.” Louise sounded out the foreign words slowly. “What is this ‘ninjutsu’? I have not heard of it in Tristain.”

 _‘Nor would you. The ninja arts are secret methods for concealment and espionage. A combination of martial arts and spiritual training.’_ Her Familiar smiled at her. ‘ _A ninja can be many things, little sister, but our strongest weapon is always misdirection. We deal in shadows and secrets like a merchant counting coins. Now, please call me Leonardo, if you would. Or Leo, should you desire increased familiarity.’_

“Leonardo. I like that.” Louise was pleased. Leonardo’s name and titles… whatever he was and wherever he hailed from, her Familiar was of a comparable station to her own. He could _understand_. Leonardo would be able to understand her duty, and the pressure she was under, and her need to excel. It was unexpectedly relieving. “Please, call me Louise if you so wish to do so. I also have no objections to your use of ‘imouto-chan’.”

‘ _Then I shall do so when appropriate, little sister.’_ Louise smiled and accepted Leonardo’s offered hand up to assist her rise from the ground. ‘ _Now then. Perhaps you could explain how we came together. I must admit that I was not expecting any of this.’_

“Well… it was the Springtime Familiar Summoning Ceremony…” Once Louise started talking, she found she could not stop. She told Leonardo everything. From the taunts of her classmates to her fear of disappointing her mother. From her inability to cast a proper spell to what it would mean for her to be an inexprime. From her teacher’s pitying looks to studying so long into the night she was late for the Ceremony. Louise told her Familiar everything, and Leonardo… listened.

=/=

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The best part about these two being mystically bound partners for the rest of their lives is that Leo is highkey overprotective of his little sibs and is absolutely tyrannical about making sure they train to their highest level of competence, and Louise is highkey all about being the centre of someone's world and already has a level of self motivation to improve that would make a marathon runner cry, and they both are really into the whole doing your duty and protecting your country/city thing and I think that's beautiful. ♥
> 
> They just... their personalities mesh so neatly and they get along so well? IDEK it's just fantastic because they're just doing their own thing and being themselves and the story is zipping along without any of the horrible personality clashes that people seem to be overfond of when it comes to Louise.


	3. Intrigue and Royal Decree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having been at the Academy, Louise has been far removed from the court intrigues she grew up with for the last few years. Clever girl that she is, catching up is easy.
> 
> Fulfilling her promise to her friend and Princess will be harder, but not _impossible_.
> 
> After years of space travel and aliens, the simplicity of feudal politics is a refreshing change. Leonardo is actually looking forward to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, things are happening again! *golf claps*

=/=

Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere stared at the road sign, her Familiar standing beside her with an expression of mild curiosity on his leaf green face.

“We’re in Germania.” The pink haired girl whirled on her heel and pointed an accusing finger at the bemused looking turtle. “You brought us to Germania! How am I supposed to _explain this to the faculty_?”

“Hm. I take it Germania is a fair distance from where we began our journey together?” Leonardo chuckled as his new little sister screeched in mounting frustration. “Maa, worry not, imouto-chan. We can return as easily as we came.”

“That. Is not. The _point_.” Louise grit her teeth and fought the urge to do something violently unseemly. Curse Leonardo and his calm disposition! The dragon-turtle’s self-possession made Louise feel childish whenever she indulged her temper. Another deep breath to cool her ire and Louise forcibly unclenched her fist. “Even a square level Wind mage would be mortally exhausted after teleporting even a few leagues. You have taken us from the heart of Tristain to Germania in a _single night_. That is impossible!”

“This world’s shadows move strangely.” Leonardo shrugged one shoulder and looked at the horizon with a smile. “I should practice a bit more before our next foray into adventure, I think.”

“… Please. Do so.” Louise rolled her eyes at her Familiar’s ability to speak and still fail to properly explain what he meant. The noble girl sighed and shook her head. “Let’s find a town, or at least an inn. I’ve no great desire to see where you will take us next.”

“Of course.” Leonardo chuckled as Louise whirled around to stomp down the road. She was a tiny little thing, with a temper that rivalled Raphael at his worst. Steel-blue eyes darkened at the touch of unwanted memories. Leonardo would see to it that Louise never suffered his brother’s fate.

/…/

“Leonardo!” Louise hissed and grabbed her Familiar in a panic. “Hide us! Quickly!”

The world spun around her in a dizzying smear of colours and Louise found herself held in strong green arms, hidden in the shadow of a roof peak three stories off the ground and at least half a block from where she had been standing. Her Familiar was not even breathing hard, despite the exertion of moving them both. “What is the danger, Imouto-chan?”

“That flag, it’s Princess Henrietta’s envoy!” Louise swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. “The Princess is a childhood playmate, but the problem is that my _mother_ is with her.”

“Your honourable mother is to be avoided then?” Leonardo’s tone was so carefully neutral that Louise found herself blushing.

“Mother would not be… pleased. At all. To see me so far from the school. Especially not while I am without a proper escort.” Louise dropped her eyes even though she had done nothing to shame her name. “My practical grades are already a concern to my parents. I clearly succeeded in summoning a Familiar Companion, but our Contract is not that of a proper Master and Servant. No one has ever altered the Summoning Ritual before. Especially not… not _after_ the initial Binding. We are already unusual simply by dint of your intelligence. Should Mother see something odd about the binding runes… Mother is quite traditional. And very firm in her opinions regarding the proper conduct and comportment for a noble and mage.”

“So, we need to remain out of sight until we decide on a plan of action.” Leonardo smiled at the girl in his arms. “This will be good kunoichi training for you, imouto-chan. First thing, however, will be to dress you more appropriately.”

Louise stared at her Familiar in confusion. What in the Founder’s name did he mean by calling her a ‘female shadow warrior’?

The oddity of Louise’s ability to comprehend her Familiar’s native language without a translation spell, and Leonardo’s proportionate mastery of Tristain's tongue occupied Louise’s thoughts for the better part of the afternoon. Leonardo was quite busy during that time, ducking in and out of consignment shops with his cloak drawn close and his hood worn low. Covered so, her Familiar was simply an old man with a stooped back running errands for his mistress. The late day shadows were lengthening towards early evening when Leonardo presented Louise with a new outfit.

Dove grey and dusky rose with black accents, it was obviously echoing some sort of military uniform, but Louise had never seen the like before. Strange style aside, there was nothing objectionable about the colours or the fabric, but the cut! Louise stared at her reflection as best she could in her hand mirror. The layers and artfully hidden leather armour panels gave her more of a figure than she usually saw herself sporting. Louise swallowed back the first three things she wanted to say and eyed her Familiar with wary eyes. For a creature from a species with only a bare superficial resemblance to her own, Leonardo was well informed about what made a human female attractive. “… Are the trousers truly necessary?”

“Yes.” Leonardo tilted his head with a questioning smile. “Unless you wish to travel the rooftops in skirts?”

Louise took only a moment to remember why most of the female students at the academy only skimmed the ground while levitating, and put that together with someone looking up while she was crouched overhead. Her face turned a rather dramatic shade of red. “Trousers are… not so bad, I suppose. In certain circumstances.”

Leonardo chuckled softly. “Alright then, Imouto-chan. Let’s go visit your Princess.”

Louise pulled the curious cloth mask Leonardo had fashioned of black silk up over her mouth and nose. Her hair was wrapped and bound with more black silk. This left her features disguised without obstructing her vision. How clever. Shoving down her nerves, Louise looked up at Leonardo and nodded. She was ready.

/…/

Inappropriate conduct for a young lady of noble birth or not, travelling by rooftops was completely exhilarating. Certainly mages could levitate, but it was a slow, unwieldy method of travel when compared to griffins, or horses, or even ones own two feet. Leonardo showed Louise a new way to travel, how to use the strength in her legs and sheer momentum to launch herself into the open air and across the gaps between buildings. It was a reckless, wild way to travel. Louise _loved_ it, and her Familiar’s spirit was a warm glow of approval radiating from the place in her soul where their bond was tethered.

Louise could feel their bond even more clearly now as she abandoned ingrained sensibility to dance with the night winds. Knowledge flowed between them in fits and starts, lending language and skills and instincts, things both learned and trained. Louise _knew_ somehow the best way to move silently over the rooftops, Leonardo’s experience guiding her steps to smooth efficiency when ignorance would see her stumble. It was humbling. It was bliss. It was the support she had always dreamed of, providing her with the help she needed _only_ when she needed it. It was success that did not come easy, but was easily mastered once she put in the effort required.

Leonardo laughed gently at her exuberance and pulled the shadows up around them. They had a Princess to surprise with an unexpected visit.

/…/

Princess Henrietta of Tristain was suffering an emotional quandary.

On one hand she was quite pleased that the negotiations with Germania were going well. Once the betrothal was set and signed her people would be better protected. All it would take was the sacrifice of Henrietta’s hand in wedlock and a large chunk of Tristain’s independence.

Yet on the other hand, despite the purported attractiveness of Germania’s King he was still quite a bit her elder and… well to be honest she did not _want_ to marry him. A fact only heightened by the idea that her Kingdom would eventually be reduced to just another duchy under Germania's authority. As Crown Princess and a noblewoman of Tristain, however… she had little say in which man she wed. If they were to be subjugated one way or the other, it was for the best that they choose whom to and how it would occur. At least her future child would still be the one to sit upon Tristain’s throne.

With a weary sigh, Henrietta pushed the heavy brocade curtains aside and looked out over the moonlit gardens of the Embassy with sorrowful eyes. “Oh, Wales… what should I do?”

“Princess?” Henrietta twitched and spun, hands scrambling for a grip on her wand as she opened her mouth to scream. Then a slender figure seemingly made of pure shadow stepped forward into the candlelight, hood falling back to reveal pink hair and a beloved, familiar face pulled tight in concern. “Henrietta, what is the matter? What are you and Mother doing in Germania?”

“How dare you?” Hot rage consumed her better sense, quieting Henrietta’s alarm. Her wand snapped out and she cast the strongest dispel she knew on the illusion before her. She faltered only briefly when nothing happened, far too angered for surprise or caution to hold her back. “If you are truly as whom you appear, prove it!”

“Well firstly, Princess, you have always called me Louise Francoise as something of a jest due to my continued refusal to address you informally in public, and rarely relenting my insistence on protocol even in private.” The darkly garbed intruder tilted her head and smiled, secret and wicked. “Less commonly known would be the fact that I used to play lookout while you snuck out to coerce arms lessons from your musketeers. Oh, and Princess? Bailiwick in zero time.”

“… Louise Francoise de la Valliere what in the Founder’s Name are you doing here?” Henrietta lowered her wand and stepped forward, one hand lifting to touch her friend’s face in wonder. Real, living flesh. Not a golem either then. “How did you get here? Are you not supposed to be at the Academy?”

“A small mishap occurred during the Summoning Ritual, Princess. Truly a tiny, inconsequential thing. However my new Familiar was greatly unsettled by it and teleported us away blindly.” Louise wrinkled her nose and flushed slightly. “Which, ah, should also give you some idea as to how we came to be in your chambers unannounced.”

“A teleporting Familiar… you do have the most extraordinary luck, Louise Francoise.” Henrietta giggled and looked around. Her own Familiar was curled up at the foot of her bed, the young river dragon’s eyes mostly closed as it lounged in utter relaxation. Another good sign. “So where is your Familiar? And may I assume a Wind Affinity to go along with the teleportation?”

“Oh, yes… Princess Henrietta de Tristain, may I introduce Gunshin no Hamato Leonardo. A dragon-turtle and my Familiar.” Louise gestured to a patch of shadow clinging to the corner she had appeared from, and an armoured demi-human stepped into sight with a bow. “Leonardo, this is Princess Henrietta. We were childhood playmates and she is perhaps my closest true friend.”

“It is an honour to meet you, Ohime-sama.” Leonardo shifted back into the shadows once the Princess turned her enthused gaze back to Louise. If Leonardo’s new Lady had not insisted on the Princess knowing he was capable of human speech he would never have… ah well. It was done now. As the only one of his kind in this world, Leonardo would need to speak to humans if he wanted to have any sort of intelligent conversation, and the Princess seemed friendly enough.

Leonardo would just have to wait and see if she was to be trusted as well.

/…/

“… so, that is how it now stands.” Henrietta stared down at her folded hands with tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. “Should the contents of that letter become public knowledge…”

“Oh, Princess… this is so, so stupid!” Louise hissed and took her oldest, and perhaps only, friend’s hands into her own, trying to provide comfort even through her rage. “How _dare_ they? To attack the royal family, the bloodline of the Founder Birmir… how dare they!”

Henrietta hiccupped and leaned forward, hiding her face in Louise’s shoulder. “Oh, Louise Françoise… I don’t know what to do.”

“You will do what is right and just, Princess Henrietta.” Louise wrapped her arms around the weeping Princess and rested her cheek against dark plum hair. “You will do the honourable thing, as is your duty as the future Queen of Tristain and a trueborn daughter of the Blood Royal.”

Leonardo sat quietly in the corner of the room, his tactician’s mind turning over what he had learned of the current political situation like a meditation stone. To speak, or not to speak? Leonardo was bound to Louise in a manner that could not be broken. Her fortunes were his, as were her ills and loyalties. There was something Leonardo could do to salvage Henrietta’s happiness, if Louise agreed to the action. It would be dangerous, and the girl was young. Yet Leonardo and his brothers had fought Shredder at the same age. Had been just as young when they went to war with the Foot Clan and the Kraang. Louise had a frightening amount of willpower for a girl with such a fragile body. Given a goal, Louise would part oceans and tear down mountains with her bare hands to see it accomplished. In the face of that determination, her age was of little consequence.

Noting that the ladies had begun to recollect themselves, Leonardo smiled. Really, he might as will speak up and see what they thought of his plan. “It occurs to me, Ohime-sama, Louise-ojousama, that you are making a simple thing complicated.”

Louise sat up, frowning at Leonardo as she picked up on the wicked mischief hiding behind his formal tone. “Explain what you mean by that, Familiar.”

“Simply this, my ladies. That I can teleport for a very long distance. In this manner I can be anywhere, get to any location, very quickly. Retrieving the Princess’ letter, or even the Prince Wales himself would be the work of perhaps an hour. Minutes even, depending on how accurately I manage to arrive within Albion’s borders.” Leonardo shrugged and spread his hands as the ladies looked at each other in growing relief and excitement. “More than that, Ohime-sama, I am shinobi. A ninja. My people… we serve our lords from the shadows. To lurk in secret, to strike a blow unseen. We were, we _are_ , sent against the enemies of our Clan as spies. As saboteurs. As… sometimes assassins, should the needs of the situation call for it. This Lord Cromwell, he has broken the laws of his country, hai? He is a criminal who has broken faith with the rightful rulers, and incited others into unlawful action where they might otherwise have accepted negotiation. A betrayer. An oath-breaker. He has twisted truth and lie together until none can tell what evils they now perpetuate. With your permission, Ohime-sama, and with the Prince Wales permission… an order of execution is not beyond the bounds of possibility. No matter where the man may choose to hide.”

“… You would do this?” Henrietta’s breath caught under the exquisitely painful weight of renewed hope. “Without Cromwell the Royalists would stand a much better chance. The people of Albion love their Prince Valiant. If Cromwell were removed and the King abdicate as a concession to the Revolutionaries… it could work! This could… you would do this? Truly? _Why_? Simply because Louise is your Master?”

“I know my Lady’s soul, just as she knows mine.” Leonardo smiled at the sight of Louise’s embarrassed flush. Still a child about some things for all her devotion to duty and the pursuit of knowledge. “As Tristain is my Lady’s home, so it is also mine. Should the Revolution in Albion succeed it would violate the sanctity of all other crowns. The Royal lines whose rightful rule hinges the blood inherited from Birmir as his descendants would be at great risk of the same fate. Your marriage to Germania might well be used to spark Tristain’s own Revolution, given how little love is lost between your countries. Albion’s Royal Family _cannot_ be allowed to fall. My Lady would die before seeing you come to harm, Ohime-sama.”

“He speaks the truth, Henrietta.” Louise stood from her seat in order to kneel before the open-mouthed and wide-eyed Princess. “To protect the sanctity of the Holy Bloodlines of the Founder Birmir, and most of all, to protect _you_ , Henrietta, I, Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Valliere do hereby swear to do all that is in my power to protect the country of Tristain, end the efforts of Cromwell’s rebels, and see to it that the wishes of Crown Princess Henrietta de Tristain are fulfilled to their fullest measure!”

Henrietta gasped and started crying once more. Louise smiled, feeling her Familiar’s approval ring through her soul, kindling a fierce warmth under her breastbone.

It would seem that Louise was her mother’s daughter after all.

/…/

“We shall need to reach Prince Wales first.” Louise mused after leaving Henrietta’s company in the dim grey light of predawn. The sun was waking, but had yet to breach the horizon, and Louise noted once again how well her Familiar-chosen garb concealed her in the deep shadows. “Not only will that allow me to retrieve Henrietta’s letter, but it will also allow us to have Cromwell’s order of execution ratified by the proper royal authorities.”

“Indeed.” Leonardo led the way out of the sleepy town, glancing at his thoughtful little sister when the silence between them stretched overlong. “You have concerns?”

“I would not truly deem them _concerns_.” Louise murmured, pulling her cloak closer around her as they moved over and beyond the walls enclosing the town. The guards never noticed two more shadows on the wall, and Louise wrinkled her nose at the proof of Germanian laziness. She was not so skilled at moving silently that an alert guard would fail to hear her footsteps. “We must be swift in our quest, Leonardo. Once Cromwell has been ended we must make haste back to the Academy. It will keep any suspicion from falling on Tristainian interference.”

“Hm.” Inclining his head in agreement, Leonardo kept his voice gentle and bland to avoid alarming Louise with the implications of his question. “Should I then take steps to ensure that we are not identified when we are in Albion?”

Louise looked at her familiar, eyes drawn to the twinned swords carried atop his shell. The Young Noble knew very well what are familiar was asking, and what her answer would mean. “Yes.”

“Very well, Imouto-chan.” Leonardo looked around carefully for any watchers, and then offered Louise his hand. “Are you ready? We should go now before the shadows fade completely.”

“I am ready.” Louise stepped forward without fear and placed her hand in Leonardo’s. She gripped her familiar’s palm tightly as her other hand lifted to adjust her mask. “Take us to Albion, if you would, Leonardo.”

“By your wish, Louise.” Grey smoke and violet shadows rose around them, and in a lightning flash of pale blue wind they vanished without leaving any sign they had ever been there.

/…/

Shadow stepping was tricky these days. When Leonardo and his brothers had first left the sewers to explore the city above, the technique had been a simple trick of misdirection. A bit of light and smoke to dazzle the eyes of any watchers before dashing towards cover. After the mystic teachings of the Ancient One and the awakening of their draconic spirits by the Council of Shadows… well.

The skill was rather _more_ than simple misdirection these days. Especially on worlds such as this one, where magic and other such energies lurked in the very foundations of reality. Sunk into water and earth and air, a living part of forest and fire and blood-beating hearts. Wild, boundless energies that Leonardo could gather and use to supplement his eclectic collection of mystic skills.

Something told him that he should hold off on attempting a transformation into his Dragon form for now. Given how far away from his point of origin a simple vanishing trick had taken him, drawing on the shape and strength of his power totem would probably end up being… dramatic, to say the least.

Leonardo suspected he was understating the issue, but he was also contemplating his options for after the completion of their mission. Dragons were _known_ here on this world, and it was not a unheard of for Mages to contract them as Familiars. Louise having a dragon would be _impressive_ perhaps, but not _strange_. Ironically, a dragon would not stand out the way a mutant turtle would among the nobility.

Something to meditate on before their eventual return to Louise’s Academy. Something to discuss with Louise herself in regards to repercussions and social expectations, as well.

For now though, Leonardo was best served putting such vital contemplations from his mind so he could better concentrate on their path through the shadows. According to Louise the country of Albion floated in the skies above the sea. Leonardo would not enjoy jumping to a shadow on the _underside_ of a flying subcontinent.

… Ah. Actually, perhaps it might be better for Leonardo to try shifting when they reached the coastline. Otherwise the usual turtle luck would see him testing his wings only _after_ being thrown off the edge of a soaring cliff. Possibly in chains given their mission and the current political tensions.

Yes. Flying up to Albion in order to scout the border was probably the best way to go about things at this time. Leonardo could always shadow jump them through the rebellion’s defences once they were aware of the lay of the land, and a better idea of where any traps would be.

Now, to explain his action plan to Louise without setting off her temper…

=/=

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The best weapon is the one _nobody knows you have_.
> 
> This is how Louise's career as Henrietta's Spymaster begins... and yes, ninjutsu skills are actually going to mesh _frighteningly well_ with Louise's Void alignment.


End file.
